well, today we went to the beach. this is me on the subway...where a man came over and started jammin on his violin with us.
Sep 15, 2007
Sep 12, 2007
ciao bella
Hello again! So many things have happened in the past week, so please pardon the length of this entry as I paint you a beautiful picture...
Of most significance was Notte Bianca, which happened last Saturday. We started out by going to the zoo, where I saw some monkeys...blah blah some elephants... Meanwhile I am drinking wine out of a giant juice box. For a euro. We went to the piazza navona which is just a place of shops and art and things, but that night they had "assault poetry", which is where poets in black carrying umbrellas and long hollow tubes walk around stealthily and grab people from the audience and talk into their ears via long scary tube. They got my roomate Jenn, and Andrew, and said some creepy things, most of which was in Italian or French. But it was a sight to see! The night picked up later as the stragglers of our group went to bed, and four of us were left to brave the crowd. We went to the coloseum, and here there was this crazy show of people singing opera and playing instruments whilst suspended by a crane. They were wearing scary colonial/devil costumes, which im sure the Pope would disapprove of, but luckily he was asleep!
The night was incredible; to see a million people out in the streets and to be able to walk anywhere and be entertained by the sights and sounds, and monkeys, was quite unique. The highlight of the night was talking to the gypsies (or street vendors). They come up to you and start trying to sell you roses, or crappy bracelets that they make while you hold out your thumb and they ask "so, you have boyfriend?" So as one of these gypsies approaches me I turned the tables on him, and I whip out a peice of string and attach it to his thumb and started berating him with questions. So you have boyfriend? Where you from? He thought this was hilarious. And then he tried to sell me the shoes off his feet for 16 euros.
We got home at around 5:30 am, with enough time to get a few hours sleep before our trip to Todi.
Todi was a great day, they fed us courses from a "wedding menu". It was a religious experience!! I think there was 8 courses, including boar and venicen, as well as tiramisu for dessert and sweet wine with biscotti. We had appetizers of proscutto and cheesecake, then rissoto...oh man. I was in heaven. They also gave us wine that was made locally and didn't have any preservatives, but it was really strong!
My classes are wonderful so far, I just signed up for an art history class that my friend Andrew is in, called museums and galleries. Its kind of intimidating having no background in art history, but the teacher is good and we go out into the city every Thursday to observe studios and galleries as a class.
So most of the stereotypes I've heard about Italians are proving to be correct. Nobody here follows and sort of order; the vespas will run you over if you make eye contact with the cigarette smoking- cell phone weilding driver. The people are beautiful and usually friendly to Americans, which is refreshing. They all smoke and nobody knows how to stand in a line.
I've made some great friends and I'm starting to feel more at home here. Thinking of going to the beach this weekend! And Kurdistan in the near future. But more on that later...
I need to put captions up somehow but these are photos I have photos from white night and todi. You can see the assault poetry, my friend Andrew, the view of Piazza del Popolo with the crowd, and all the shots of Todi.
Take care everyone
love
julia
Of most significance was Notte Bianca, which happened last Saturday. We started out by going to the zoo, where I saw some monkeys...blah blah some elephants... Meanwhile I am drinking wine out of a giant juice box. For a euro. We went to the piazza navona which is just a place of shops and art and things, but that night they had "assault poetry", which is where poets in black carrying umbrellas and long hollow tubes walk around stealthily and grab people from the audience and talk into their ears via long scary tube. They got my roomate Jenn, and Andrew, and said some creepy things, most of which was in Italian or French. But it was a sight to see! The night picked up later as the stragglers of our group went to bed, and four of us were left to brave the crowd. We went to the coloseum, and here there was this crazy show of people singing opera and playing instruments whilst suspended by a crane. They were wearing scary colonial/devil costumes, which im sure the Pope would disapprove of, but luckily he was asleep!
The night was incredible; to see a million people out in the streets and to be able to walk anywhere and be entertained by the sights and sounds, and monkeys, was quite unique. The highlight of the night was talking to the gypsies (or street vendors). They come up to you and start trying to sell you roses, or crappy bracelets that they make while you hold out your thumb and they ask "so, you have boyfriend?" So as one of these gypsies approaches me I turned the tables on him, and I whip out a peice of string and attach it to his thumb and started berating him with questions. So you have boyfriend? Where you from? He thought this was hilarious. And then he tried to sell me the shoes off his feet for 16 euros.
We got home at around 5:30 am, with enough time to get a few hours sleep before our trip to Todi.
Todi was a great day, they fed us courses from a "wedding menu". It was a religious experience!! I think there was 8 courses, including boar and venicen, as well as tiramisu for dessert and sweet wine with biscotti. We had appetizers of proscutto and cheesecake, then rissoto...oh man. I was in heaven. They also gave us wine that was made locally and didn't have any preservatives, but it was really strong!
My classes are wonderful so far, I just signed up for an art history class that my friend Andrew is in, called museums and galleries. Its kind of intimidating having no background in art history, but the teacher is good and we go out into the city every Thursday to observe studios and galleries as a class.
So most of the stereotypes I've heard about Italians are proving to be correct. Nobody here follows and sort of order; the vespas will run you over if you make eye contact with the cigarette smoking- cell phone weilding driver. The people are beautiful and usually friendly to Americans, which is refreshing. They all smoke and nobody knows how to stand in a line.
I've made some great friends and I'm starting to feel more at home here. Thinking of going to the beach this weekend! And Kurdistan in the near future. But more on that later...
I need to put captions up somehow but these are photos I have photos from white night and todi. You can see the assault poetry, my friend Andrew, the view of Piazza del Popolo with the crowd, and all the shots of Todi.
Take care everyone
love
julia
Sep 5, 2007
First Impressions
I have arrived! It is beeauutiful
When I first got off the plane I met two kids who I shared a shuttle with to our residence, Magdelie d'Oro, which is literally 4 blocks from the Vatican. In the car, a girl named Lindsay who can only be described as "so philly" started talking loudly to our driver and asking him if there is any opera in Rome because she loooooves Opera! And he replied, "huh?", to which she said, you know, opera...uhhh uh, Luh-Opera...and then he siad OHHH YESS L'OPERA!! It was comical. (but maybe you had to be there)
The first night I went out with a group of people to the Spanish steps, the teenage hang out spot of Rome. Loads of kids in school groups were there singing and drinking wine, and it was great. Everybody was shouting and I met some interesting folk in the program, one who I had a class with before and a girl from Penn who I had actually seen perform at an a capella show a year ago. Later when I got back I met my roomate Jenn, and she totally rocks! She goes to Haverford (and yes she knows Lauren).
So things of significance so far, I live right next to an open air market which is open from 8-2 every day. I can't wait to learn some Italian so I can communicate and buy groceries! Tomorrow one of the teachers is giving a cooking lesson. I tried pizza with anchovies, and I nearly died. The food is just incredible and you can't walk 20 feet without seeing a gelato stand.
Today I bought a bus pas for the month of September which was 30 euros, and it gives unlimited bus and metro access. So with this I plan on going out into the hill towns and the beaches. Also coming up is the "White Night", which is an expression that means you pulled an all nighter. Basically all of Rome stays up and everything is open; the shops, museums, restaurants, and all the transportation is free. They do this in other European cities too but I had never heard of it. Usually everything here closes pretty early, and its been surprisingly quiet. Most Romans vacation for the month of August so perhaps it will get louder soon!
Anyways, please allow me to describe my delicious slice of pizza
1. anchovies
2. cheese
3. olives
4. mushrooms
5. fresh tomatoes
ohh it was good! and the people here couldnt be friendlier! One fat man in the pizza shop told us that he was pregnant! haha
ciao mi amores!
love,
Julia
When I first got off the plane I met two kids who I shared a shuttle with to our residence, Magdelie d'Oro, which is literally 4 blocks from the Vatican. In the car, a girl named Lindsay who can only be described as "so philly" started talking loudly to our driver and asking him if there is any opera in Rome because she loooooves Opera! And he replied, "huh?", to which she said, you know, opera...uhhh uh, Luh-Opera...and then he siad OHHH YESS L'OPERA!! It was comical. (but maybe you had to be there)
The first night I went out with a group of people to the Spanish steps, the teenage hang out spot of Rome. Loads of kids in school groups were there singing and drinking wine, and it was great. Everybody was shouting and I met some interesting folk in the program, one who I had a class with before and a girl from Penn who I had actually seen perform at an a capella show a year ago. Later when I got back I met my roomate Jenn, and she totally rocks! She goes to Haverford (and yes she knows Lauren).
So things of significance so far, I live right next to an open air market which is open from 8-2 every day. I can't wait to learn some Italian so I can communicate and buy groceries! Tomorrow one of the teachers is giving a cooking lesson. I tried pizza with anchovies, and I nearly died. The food is just incredible and you can't walk 20 feet without seeing a gelato stand.
Today I bought a bus pas for the month of September which was 30 euros, and it gives unlimited bus and metro access. So with this I plan on going out into the hill towns and the beaches. Also coming up is the "White Night", which is an expression that means you pulled an all nighter. Basically all of Rome stays up and everything is open; the shops, museums, restaurants, and all the transportation is free. They do this in other European cities too but I had never heard of it. Usually everything here closes pretty early, and its been surprisingly quiet. Most Romans vacation for the month of August so perhaps it will get louder soon!
Anyways, please allow me to describe my delicious slice of pizza
1. anchovies
2. cheese
3. olives
4. mushrooms
5. fresh tomatoes
ohh it was good! and the people here couldnt be friendlier! One fat man in the pizza shop told us that he was pregnant! haha
ciao mi amores!
love,
Julia
Sep 2, 2007
Mont Tremblant and Montreal
I just got home from Canada, where I spent four days camping/coneing in Mont Tremblant and two days in Montreal at a surreal youth hostel. The canoeing was fantastic and I managed to navigate my English counterpart Gulia and myself down some rapids without flipping our canoe, although we came close.
Montreal is a beautiful and progressive city with friendly people. I wish I could have stayed longer. The hostel was very casual, it was difficult to leave because you had to find somebody to pay. It was set up as a regular apartment but with beds stuffed in every corner. At a bar I met two Quebecians who in broken English explained that Montreal, the art and culture haven of Canada, wasn't appreaciated enough by Americans or the rest of Canada. This is true!
Tomorrow I am off to Rome and as most of you could guess, I haven't packed.
Will hopefuly write from my apartment next! ciao
Montreal is a beautiful and progressive city with friendly people. I wish I could have stayed longer. The hostel was very casual, it was difficult to leave because you had to find somebody to pay. It was set up as a regular apartment but with beds stuffed in every corner. At a bar I met two Quebecians who in broken English explained that Montreal, the art and culture haven of Canada, wasn't appreaciated enough by Americans or the rest of Canada. This is true!
Tomorrow I am off to Rome and as most of you could guess, I haven't packed.
Will hopefuly write from my apartment next! ciao
Let me explain the photos:
top left is a deer that asked me for an apple,
to the right is Julia my friend from England at the end of our two day canoe trip,
the view from one of our day hikes, the four of us in Montreal at the top of a park, and me in a canoe in the center of a giant lake.
Aug 25, 2007
pre canada
Hey guys,
Tonight I am going to Elf and Tom's party, and then heading off for Canada after dropping Lil off in Middlebury, VT. I am meeting up with some camp friends at Mont Tremblant where we will be canoeing and then going to Montreal for a few days. I've been having a great time at home in Silver Spring and got to hang out with Lily and Arman at the pirate bar. Then we went to Adams Morgan where I drunk dialed my dad resulting in this funny conversation the next day:
me: hi dere!!
i ran through the fountain in silva sprang tonight!
11:18 PM Tom: wtf u be callin me at 1 Am lasnite?
me: what!
i did NAT!
Tom: a yuh huh
me: omg
i did
Tom: ok, 12:53
me: i dont remember why
maybe to ask a question
OH YEAH
if our cousin owns adams morgan
or something of this kind
Tom: u wants to no who dat cuz in adams morgan?
me: cause I WAS DERE
HAHAHAHAH
11:19 PM I ASKED U THAT>?
did i leave you a messege?
Tom: madam's organ
me: ADAMS MOGAN
Tom: MADAm'S ORGAn
me: n0o dad
Tom: that's the bar owned by cuz billy duggan
me: who owns that joint
so its just a bar
not the town
of adams morgan
me: hahaha
11:20 PM Tom: hahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAH
me: ahahhhahahahha
that shit is funny
so did i leave you a voicemail last night?
Tom: and a hi dee ho ho HO!
yes
me: hahaha!!
i want to listen to it
what else did i say>
Tom: and a f .....n beep every 30 secs
Tom: 11:21 PM you a sayd . . .
DAD!!!!!!! WHAT'S THAT BAR -- I;M IN ADAMS MORAN -- WUZ DAT BAR (BELCH) OUR CUZ HE BE OWNIN' IT? AND SHIT?
11:22 PM (and in da bakyardground they be goin hehehehehehehehehehehe
me: hahahahah!
11:23 PM Tom: yeah, it's funny NOW!
Tonight I am going to Elf and Tom's party, and then heading off for Canada after dropping Lil off in Middlebury, VT. I am meeting up with some camp friends at Mont Tremblant where we will be canoeing and then going to Montreal for a few days. I've been having a great time at home in Silver Spring and got to hang out with Lily and Arman at the pirate bar. Then we went to Adams Morgan where I drunk dialed my dad resulting in this funny conversation the next day:
me: hi dere!!
i ran through the fountain in silva sprang tonight!
11:18 PM Tom: wtf u be callin me at 1 Am lasnite?
me: what!
i did NAT!
Tom: a yuh huh
me: omg
i did
Tom: ok, 12:53
me: i dont remember why
maybe to ask a question
OH YEAH
if our cousin owns adams morgan
or something of this kind
Tom: u wants to no who dat cuz in adams morgan?
me: cause I WAS DERE
HAHAHAHAH
11:19 PM I ASKED U THAT>?
did i leave you a messege?
Tom: madam's organ
me: ADAMS MOGAN
Tom: MADAm'S ORGAn
me: n0o dad
Tom: that's the bar owned by cuz billy duggan
me: who owns that joint
so its just a bar
not the town
of adams morgan
me: hahaha
11:20 PM Tom: hahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAH
me: ahahhhahahahha
that shit is funny
so did i leave you a voicemail last night?
Tom: and a hi dee ho ho HO!
yes
me: hahaha!!
i want to listen to it
what else did i say>
Tom: and a f .....n beep every 30 secs
Tom: 11:21 PM you a sayd . . .
DAD!!!!!!! WHAT'S THAT BAR -- I;M IN ADAMS MORAN -- WUZ DAT BAR (BELCH) OUR CUZ HE BE OWNIN' IT? AND SHIT?
11:22 PM (and in da bakyardground they be goin hehehehehehehehehehehe
me: hahahahah!
11:23 PM Tom: yeah, it's funny NOW!
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